Vriesea cultivar `Cathy`

{
  "publication_number": "US10488P",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "P",
  "title": "Vriesea cultivar `Cathy`",
  "abstract": "A new and distinct variety of Vriesea plant resulting as a spontaneous somoclonal variation among propagules of `Christiane` from tissue culture. This new plant, named `Cathy`, is characterized by having good vigor and an inflorescence of a dark reddish purple, deepening to near black as the blooming plant ages, rather than the usual brilliant red of the parent Vriesea `Christinae`. With the exception of the coloration of the inflorescence, the newly discovered sport `Cathy`, is phenotypically similar to the parent variety `Christiane`.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A new and distinct cultivar of Vriesea plant, named `Cathy`, substantially as herein shown and described, characterized as to novelty by the unique combination of an erect multi-branched inflorescence reddish purple in color and also being dependably vigorous in growth."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Our present invention is that of a new distinct cultivar of plant in the genus Vriesea within the family Bromeliaceae, which is the result of a sponaneous sport appearing among plantlets of Vriesea Christiane created by tissue culture techniques. Plants of the genus Vriesea have long been desirable, decorative plants due to their long-lasting, ornamental inflorescence and symmetrical foliage. Predominating among commercially grown varieties of Vriesea have been numerous hybrids with bright red inflorescences. Among these is Vriesea Christiane, which has been in commercial production in Belgium for many years. It has been the continuing goal of plant breeders to produce compact Vriesea plants having large, brilliantly colored inflorescences combined with ease of growing. Although arguably surpassed in one characteristic or another by other Vriesea hybrid varieties, Vriesea Christiane has withstood the test of time. Due to the complex hybrid parentage of current commercial Vriesea varieties, including Vriesea Christiane, the plants can be reproduced only through vegetative reproduction, and are commonly reproduced using tissue culture techniques.\n\nIn the course of raising many thousands of plants of Vriesea Christiane to full blooming maturity, joint inventors Arie Stofbergen and Leendert Stofbergen at Bergschenhoek, Nederland, identified and isolated a single plant which differed dramatically from all others. The single plant had an inflorescence in which the floral bracts were not the usual brilliant red of Vriesea Christiane, but were dark reddish purple, deepening to near black as the blooming plant aged.",
  "cpc": [
    "A01H 5/02",
    "A01H 6/228",
    "F16B 2200/10",
    "Y10T 403/60",
    "Y10T 403/7061"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A01H 5/02"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "PIETERS LUC",
    "DEMEYER CAROLINE",
    "STOFBERGEN ARIE",
    "STOFBERGEN LEENDERT"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1997-02-20",
  "publication_date": "1998-07-07",
  "priority_date": "1997-02-20",
  "application_number": "US-80351497-V",
  "family_id": "25186705"
}